Netanyahu Advisor Under Scrutiny for Millions in Foreign Payments

By מערכת ice

Translated & summarized from Ice by baba

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Hebrew · 5 newsrooms covering

Yonatan Urich, a media advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly received over 1.19 million shekels from a company working with foreign clients during nine months of 2024. The payments, for work including improving Qatar's image, are under investigation for potential conflicts of interest. Urich maintains he is an external consultant. The scrutiny adds to previous controversies involving the advisor.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Prime Minister Netanyahu's advisor Yonatan Urich received over 1.19 million shekels from a foreign client company in 2024.
The payments were for work including improving Qatar's global image, according to reports.
The investigation examines potential conflicts of interest due to Urich's role with the Prime Minister.
Urich claims he is an external consultant free to work with any clients.
The financial dealings are reportedly being investigated for criminal and security implications.

Netanyahu Advisor Under Scrutiny for Millions in Foreign Payments — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Yonatan Urich, a close media advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing renewed scrutiny over millions of shekels he allegedly received from a foreign clients through the company "Perception," owned by Shrolik Einhorn. According to investigative materials revealed by Kan 11 reporter Roi Yanovsky, Urich received approximately 1.19 million shekels from Perception within a nine-month period in 2024, while Israel was at war. These funds were reportedly for work with foreign clients, including a monthly payment of about $18,000 for the "Lytos" project, aimed at improving Qatar's global image.

Yanovsky highlighted that Urich's work for foreign entities while closely advising the Prime Minister raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest, especially since no conflict-of-interest arrangements appear to have been examined. Urich's defense is that he is an external Likud consultant and free to work with whomever he chooses. The investigation reportedly delves into the criminal and security aspects of these financial dealings.

Details from the investigation show monthly payments to Urich that varied significantly, with some months exceeding 200,000 shekels. The total sum received over nine months approached 1.2 million shekels. This situation adds to the ongoing media and political attention surrounding Urich, who has previously been involved in controversies, including allegations related to the leak of communications from the Prime Minister's office.